Title
President & Chief Executive Officer, Discovery Education
Company
Discovery Communications
Bio
A 27-year veteran of Discovery Communications, Bill Goodwyn is President and CEO of Discovery Education. As the leading provider of digital textbooks, curriculum-based digital content, and professional development, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning worldwide. Serving over 3.5 million educators and 35 million students, Discovery Education's award-winning services are available in more than half of U.S. classrooms and 50 countries around the globe. Under Mr. Goodwyn's leadership, Discovery Education pioneered the development and implementation of digital textbooks. Designed to replace traditional, hardcopy textbooks as the primary resource for classroom instruction, Discovery Education's engaging digital textbooks, or Techbooks, are among the first to be adopted in multiple U.S. states. In addition, Goodwyn launched the company’s efforts to forge strategic alliances with Fortune 500 companies, foundations, and associations supporting public education initiatives in the fields of STEM, sustainability, health, financial literacy and more. Acknowledging his passion and commitment to excellence and innovation in education, EdTech Digest recognized Mr. Goodwyn with their prestigious Leadership Award. Under his stewardship, Discovery Education has been recognized with a number of industry honors, including awards from the Association of Educational publishers, Software & Information Industry Association, ComputED Learning Lab, Ed Tech Digest, Learning Magazine, and Tech & Learning Magazine. Discovery Education has also been named an Edison Award Finalist and has been named by Fast Company as one of the 10 Most Innovative Companies in Education. Previously, Mr. Goodwyn oversaw all content distribution strategy, sales and marketing in North America for Discovery's digital content and portfolio of networks, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, and Science Channel. Mr. Goodwyn was subsequently promoted to President of Global Distribution where he was responsible for content distribution for Discovery's more than 100 networks in more than 180 countries and territories around the world. In recognition of his career achievements, Mr. Goodwyn was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2013, was named one of the Cable Center's Cable TV Pioneers, and has been awarded the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's Vanguard Award, the highest honor for Young Leadership. His industry and civic commitments have included board positions with the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), CTAM's Educational Foundation, the T. Howard Foundation (diversity in media), the Alexander Youth Network, and the UNC-Chapel Hill Journalism and Communications School Board of Advisors. Mr. Goodwyn currently sits on the EdWeek Market Brief advisory board.